They have lost all moral respect for human beings .. They feel that giving people a $20 and or 30 $ merit increase per month is going to make someone satisfied and or work in the office ? Has this company lost its mind? The huge CAMPUS that they built in Belgrade only 5 years ago , and now giving people $20 raises per month? Are they serious? They are looking to pay for the same positions a salary that they were paying 12 years ago .. .They are still trying to pay people in Belgrade $800 a month... That story has sailed... Then from what everyone heard is they fired the president of the Labor Union in Belgrade just so the top players could run the company.. This company has become criminal . All people are doing now is coming into the office and socializing all day ... what a waste of work force .. Then again while the GM in Serbia and his buddies are all profiting while they can ... not sure what is going on but people cant live on a $20 pay increase.. this is so low .. this company should be prosecuted
198 replies (most recent on top)
Serbia never was the cheapest work enviroment, but it was cheap enough to get university educated people to work in call center.
Today this is not as atractive with 800$ per month, as once was for 500$. ( all those numbers are after taxation )
Also India was at least three times cheaper. Similar with Philipines ...
@213 Well stated. There would be no NCR in Belgrade if they weren’t outsourced to the CHEAPEST work environment.
All install/upgrade/customer emails that used to be from USA based employees now originate from Serbia. We used to have call management here….it went all overseas to cheaper labor.
Thousands of jobs shifted away to lower paying areas. This has been NCR’s operational strategy for decades now. There is less than a year left of what was once NCR, it’s over with. In fact next month they begin the process of planning cuts/overlap for the Brinks sale behind the scenes. By 1st quarter 2027 there will be vast changes and reductions as the nuke gets dropped on what once was Atleos.
The way some of our Serbian counterparts appear to be just LOSING IT over their apparent ill treatment can't help be somewhat amusing to some of us over here on the other side of the globe, as evidenced by other comments.
This thread is MASSIVE compared to any other thread. And for what? As best as I can tell, it's due to slights, both real and perceived, that most of us have already seen time and time again. Both at NCR, and other companies. I wonder how large the threads would've been had people been posting here back when NCR left Dayton and Dundee.
And all of this against the backdrop of the impending doom of Atleos absorption by Brinks. Do you expect to suddenly be treated as royalty by a company that most likely won't exist as an independent entity in a year or two? I guess any flowery emails they've been sending out at Atleos to keep the hoi polloi calm have been working, for the most part. Pay no attention to what's going on up top! Everything will be fine! Great even!
This shouldn't be a surprise history lesson or something, but I hope you folks in Serbia realize that you only have your positions because of cost cutting and corporate welfare. Correct? It was decades ago now in many cases, but the positions you currently hold only exist because they were shipped away from North America and were bounced to other countries long before they reached you. You don't have a job because NCR really wanted to help out Belgrade or increase their European presence, it was because you helped their bottom line. You were cheaper. A few of the right palms were greased too, no doubt.
And now, the leaf appears to be turning. Cost cutting is catching up to them. The corporate welfare has run out. It's should not be surprising that increases are a pittance. At least your cost of living is low to begin with. Try having those increases (or in some cases, 0% increases) in higher cost of living areas.
Loyalty is rare to non existent at NCR anymore, and hasn't even been around for awhile. At least when it involves anyone other than themselves. The company itself could've been offered a new enticing deal at any time and they would've been gone at a drop of a hat. That should be very plainly clear. Now that's assuming any bit of the company will even still exist in the future, of course.
The time to make hay was yesterday. Hopefully you have a backup plan/education/skills/a network/something. It sounds like some of your fellow employees see that because from the sound of it, there's a fair amount of coasting going on. Not dissimilar to a lot of places, really. If I were those folks, I'd probably ride that out until the end too. I'd say that's what I'm basically doing at this point as well over here in North America.
Make no mistake, there's absolutely no way far more cost efficiencies aren't coming if the Brinks merger goes through. ATM techs that have been working with Brinks for decades in varying capacities have seen some of that first hand. Between being absorbed by Brinks and ravaged or left to slowly limp along to possible bankruptcy like Voyix though... I'm not sure which is better or worse.
The good news for at least some of you though is, you still have a job. If needed, you can still at least try to cobble together a backup plan while still pulling in some funds at the same time.
Trying to effect corporate change now is a long lost cause. Still cathartic to complain about though. We understand.
People here cry too much.
Company gave you job, office, chair, salary every month, and now everybody acts like victim because business says no more. You should be thankful you sat in warm office for years instead of breaking your back in a store, warehouse, or night shift somewhere.
Three salaries is a gift. Many companies give nothing. But here people still complain because they think Atleos must feed them forever.
If you are so smart, go outside and find better job. But no, easier to cry here about HR, windows, air, Atlanta, managers, everything. Always someone else fault.
Local leaders at least understand business. Some employees only understand sitting, complaining, and waiting for salary.
Be thankful, take what is offered, and stop making drama. Company is not your mother.
Local leadership , as in every corporation , tries to hide and cover up many facts, concerns, and discrepancies, just to save their positions.. this is common in every company.. IN any company or corporation , they are willing to lie , manipulate and or do whatever so them and their buddies can collect while they can ... and its pretty simple if you have companies that have outsourced locations all around the world... the only issue here is no one is being fair and honest with all the employees and that is why some people are unsatisfied while others might be happy. As far as NCR in Serbia, that story might or might not end soon .. but while they are there do not expect anything to change. Point fingers at one group versus another group will get you nowhere.
I guess there is no purpose at all, only random decisions each team leadership makes based on some communications with senior leadership ...
Back in the days, when NCR first came in Serbia, all work was done from office. Mobile phones, flash drives, cameras were strictly forbidden, notes could not be taken from the building ...
As the time passed that discipline slowly faded away. Some teams requiring on-call emerged and people started carrying laptops to home.
Then covid came, and WFH become usual ...
Just before that NCR made at first sight logical, but on every other bad move by investing in Belgrade campus.
This decision would make sense if the company was not already doomed, but it was.
Now some upper mgmt. still somehow feel the need to justify bad investment.
Overall when it comes to overall business organization and meaning NCR sequels look much like headless chickens moving legs on the plate.
Can someone please explain what the purpose is of having employes coming into the office in a company that no one works with anyone inside the office nor with co workers nor with clients ... can someone please explain while certain teams in Serbia are allowed to work from home remotely while others have to come into the office and be non productive and just walk around and go outside and socialize all day? Not saying that everyone does this but a majority does.. As well as explaining how would it make a difference if someone was sitting at their laptop all day at home versus coming into the office in Belgrade and wasting 2 hours a day traveling and doing the same thing? And looking at the thread below people are being paid 800 dollars and are force to come into an office?
The law has not changed, the situation the company is in has changed.
Before, NCR was receiving subsidies from the Serbian government for each new employee. Those subsidies ranged from €5,000 to €10,000 per employee, and because of that NCR had certain obligations. They could not simply eliminate a position. They could fire someone for disciplinary reasons, but they could not just close the position, which meant they had to prove that the employee had actually done something wrong.
That has now changed. The company has split, part of it has been sold. Atleos is being sold, and Voyix is close to bankruptcy, if not already effectively bankrupt.
There are no more subsidies, and all mandatory employee-retention periods have expired.
Now, like many other companies, they have to reduce the workforce for various reasons, and positions are being eliminated.
The only people who really have reasons to be afraid are employees who depend on their salaries, but in the meantime have not invested in gaining skills that are relevant on today’s labor market.
Others, like local Gen-Z syndical philosophers living on mommy’s soup until they turn 45, are safe...
So firing someone in Serbia was “harder than sending a man to the moon”?
Either the law changed overnight, or the company just discovered that fear is cheaper than doing things legally? Take three salaries or we’ll fire you anyway?
Up until recent it was very hard to fire someone from Serbian branch. It was easier to send a man to the moon then to deal with procedures.
Some exception to that principle would be some rage quits, disobedience to us mgmt or escalated conflicts with customers, but all that was very rare.
It is not policy friendly, it is common sense friendly.
NCR building is build by company Starting, so I guess you can assume the quality of the building, specially knowing what has happen with some of their previous projects.
Now, per information you have provided some talented local representative of genuinely skilled workforce did mechanical manipulation by detaching the (by the way very heavy) window from one part of the construction, and letting the whole weight to be carried by upper axles. Does he know the design of that construction, can he guarantee that this window is supposed to be carried only bu upper axles, can he be sure that everything is done by the book and that every standard that has to be taken in consideration is being met.
What if something fails, and that window detach, fall and ki-l someone standing below, who will be blamed?
One of the constant Serbian NCR problem is that there is way to many really not very bright people employed, and like it or not, that is the fact.
Another great example for this thought, is complaining about how bad NCR company is, that local skilled workforce deserves more then it gets, and then giving information about this windows issue to the public....
@1rv The merger still has to be approved by shareholders.
Both companies have a special shareholder meeting on June 30th.
In the USA they are calling for more layoffs by fall. i have been working for NCR for over 17 years, I was unaware of all the discrepancy occurring in other courtiers.. From what I was told Brinks will take over by next year , its a shame that this company that is over 100 years old is doing this... they are forecasting for a long cutoff period in the upcoming months. its seem like a saimins scenario cut them while you can . we are not going to be bought by Diebold at least .. does anyone have any information on the closing dates?
“Opening the window with tools is reckless and dangerous and may lead to termination.”
Wow. Very policy friendly. Very disciplinary rulebook energy. Wonder who talks like that when pretending to be just another random employee…
Did Atleos approve overtime for loyalists defending their little thrones in the comments, or is this unpaid volunteer work from the DD?
@1qs I'm also confused, is this about the money or about the people jumping from the windows? why are we discussing leadership when they do not exist? how is running this show ? IS this about money or about the works force in Serbia? IN the US they can fire us within seconds, are they protected in other coutries?
Well, I’m a bit confused. First you say to stop with the fairytale that local management has no authority, and immediately after that you say they don’t, because they positioned themselves that way. So which is it — do they or don’t they?
I guess the correct answer is: both.
They do have authority over local employees, but they never had any real authority in decision-making, apart from organizing the local workforce.
That has been the case ever since NCR arrived in Serbia, and it was intentional and by design. NCR had some rough experiences with the Hungarian support center that existed before the Belgrade NCR office, and after that they decided to keep local management completely isolated, with no real access to money or business-related decision-making whatsoever.
Opening the “window with tools” is reckless and dangerous, and it may also lead to termination if the person attempting it gets caught.
@1qs whoever this person is has a great point. the dirty dozen are running the company .sinking slowly as the days come .
Please stop with the fairy tale that local leaders have no authority. They have no authority because they positioned themselves that way. Former NCR leaders at least had enough spine to make Belgrade matter. Now we have the local “dirty dozen” acting like HQ interns with senior executive director titles. As someone mentioned the GM is nowhere to be seen, he disappears when people need answers or action from his side. I guess the style is, to keep his title, keep the salary, keep Atlanta happy, and never stick your neck out, a true leader indeed!
And the building? Same story. From the street it looks like success. Inside, sealed windows, dead air, and people figuring out how to open them with a sc--wdriver (some have succeeds). Then you have a manager from the protected dirty dozen circle vaping at the desk while everyone else breathes it in. Very premium employee experience.
@1p8 What do they know?
If someone is stuck in entry level role for more then a decade, that I guess knowledge is contradictory with real situation of that person.
Old employees have more merit increases and often cost more then new employees. Since those roles are not demanding and does not need some special knowledge/experience/capability company is now unfortunately cutting cost on this way.
Company is nearing its end, at least in current form. In such states companies tend to show high interest in faking discipline boosting. There is nothing they can do, so then they tend to deal with useless and stupid stuff. It is not the first time seen, and definitely not the last ... Also honestly whatever they do now would be pointless. Brinks merger is in front of the door, which implies heavy cuts on services like HR, Finance, Legal and IT, after which more "optimization" / downsizing will come.
800$ dollar salaries for NCR is not laughter, they are currently struggling to pay even that. Also they have not came in Serbia to expand and develop, but to prolong imminent end. During all this time they have tried countless time to sell/restructure the company, and in the end all failed to they have split (unlocking the shareholders value) and now selling part by part ....
Living with 800$ is not something that will give you comfort life in Belgrade, but unfortunately some current employees will soon discover that, if they will be lucky to find something similar, will cost them much more, because local companies expect way much more from employee for similar salary, and no other present foreign company have near the potential or the need to accept current NCR workforce .. ...
Dirty dozens is fruit of someone fantasy. Local management has no weight, it is not included in any decision making and the only role it has is to pass the commands and oversee the execution.
Someone earlier and in the first post mentioned something about a union? What type of union is there in Serbia? I have been working here for 6 years and have no heard anything about any union . Is this in the US or in Serbia? My manager is from holland and he does not care if I'm in the office or not, but states that leadership has requested for me to be in the office 2 days a week... My whole team and the team next to me come in 4 hours a day once a week
they cannot pay people 800 dollars anymore and as far as the people who have been there longer than a decade, yes they are a problem to the company because they know to much ... they were not prepared ... they thought paying 500 euros from 2012 would continue forever... it aint happening brotha... where is Serbian leadership.. .do they exist?
Let's explain a couple of things, there are major issues that are occurring right now in this company.. first off , they are not looking for productive employees, they are looking to track people who are not coming into the office, that is their number one concern right now. secondly discrimination is taking place on a daily basis within the company. and thirdly the cost of living in Serbia has sky rocketed where salaries of 800 dollars for an American company are a laughter . You cannot live on an 800 dollar salary in Belgrade Serbia under any circumstances anymore ... And last but not least, the (dirty dozen ) mentioned here earlier are a corrupt group of people trying to hold on for as long as they can .. the window things is causing people to feel like they are in jail... does anyone recall when the last time they saw the GM of Serbia on the floor? anyone ever seen him speaking to employes?
Good things are coming. How bad can it be under Brinks?
@1fy No the can't. They are either fixed, or tied to remotely controlled electrical motor.
Also building is divided near half, as well as the infrastructure, Atleos is not paying anything to Voyix.
@1fx I'm talking about the windows but not about emergency doors. As I know, some of the windows looking at Vero or Railway Station could be opened but locked with a key. And they only can be opened 10% high. It is told us that so noone can jump from the windows. But you can jump from the terrace if you want as it is open for employees almost for 8 months of the year. As I know NCR Voyix got that 49 years of rent free option and NCR Atleos is only paying rent to NCR Voyix.
There is no way you can open up windows. Every 3rd or 4th can in theory be opened, but only remotely in case of emergency. That is done by design of the building. All other windows are fixed.
No NCR company in the building is paying the rent. NCR financed building, then signed contract with current building owner to give them the building and in return get 49 years of rent free.
I guess Brinks will not move Atleos from that building, unless they decide to close the center.
Come on guys! Forget about salaries. We are even not allowed to open a window (which only can be opened 10%). Even foreign guests can understand that how thick air is in Belgrade Campus. NCR Atleos in this Campus (!) building is a slave of the owner and not allowed to open a window. They have closed that survey about how magnificent our office is, 1 day before, so no more critiques.
Best advice to The Brink's, if you are reading! Order right noe NCR Atleos to leave this building. Stop paying that stupid rent. Make everyone work from home until further notice. Actually everybody works much more efficient from their home. Leave the building to NCR Voyix, so they can enjoy the stupid high rent which doesn't pay...
what ever happened to that NCR Atleos Labor Union that was formed in Belgrade? Can they help with anything? Are they available for consultation or is that just another communist party? anyone know if they are still active?
Forbiding you to take the offer out of office, on ground of intelectual property is full nonsense. You do have the option to bring you attorney to the office for consultation and you can ask for this.
In case of significant number of layoffs the best you can get ( in case od NCR ) is 1/3 of average monthly income ( including on-call, overtime ... ) per year of service. All this is according to Serbian labour law, as minimum. NCR can give you more, but they do not have to, and there is nothing you can do to force them for more.
They can try to trick you on some agreement, which may offer you less, but you fo jot have to accept.
Also according the law they can offer you employment letter annex with new position for which they believe you won't like hoping that you will resign. If you refuse that annex, by the law they can fire you.
HR and local management are mostly useless, and they will do nothing, except to pass upper level order to employees.
Serbian HR is used to print documents, send them for signing, and manage sick leaves, vacations...Apart from that everything else is above usual ...
Nobody said Brinks is coming to save anyone. Massive changes are coming, and the workforce knows it.
The real problem is the local cosplay “executives” and HR who are more interested in pushing employees into bad exit deals than protecting them. Sign the three-month salary exit deal immediately, no taking the offer outside the office, or miss your “chance.” :)
@1bs Number are rough estimation.
In Serbia they pay severance like 1/3 of months salary (mentioned 800e tax free or 1350e before taxation) for each year of service. Years of service are counted only on NCR contract, not on the time when agent was employed by hiring agency
Attorney is an option, but here is mostly unjustified expense that will not produce some gain ...
I guess you think Brinks will endorse people with courage to speak for their rights? Do you even have any perception on what Brinks is, and how they treat their own employees?
NCR was once respected name, and that is true, but I doubt you we even alive during that period ....
@1bj Hello , for your own good please hire a lawyer or at least speak to one, your numbers are way off ... please .. just advising you for your own good.. with those numbers you calculate , that eastly why the company wants people like you working for them.. Please consult a lawyer
The anonymous overpaid cheerleaders are getting louder because they know the ground under them is moving. A lot of them reached their ceiling years ago, so now their whole career strategy is kissing whoever holds the leash, NCR Atleos leaders, Brinks people they do not even know, anyone with a title. Clapping on LinkedIn, liking every empty corporate post, and attacking employees who still have enough backbone to speak.
NCR was once a respected name. Now it is being dragged down by weak leadership with no ethics, no accountability, and no interest beyond protecting bonuses, polishing the optics, and handing the mess to someone else.
So keep clapping for the people gutting the place. Just do not confuse survival instinct with loyalty. Everyone can see exactly what you are.
@166 Well I guess this looks familiar from 15 years ago?
@151 That would be very hard.
If you assume around 2000 employees of Atleos in Serbia, and for example lets assume that them are or 12 years in company, and have this 800e earning. This means 4 salaries for severance, which implies 1350e (in total before taxation) x 4 x 2000 which is around 11M $ ... Even for Atleos this is not some unbelievable sum of money ... BTW NCR payed around 100M for Belgrade building ...
@1a1 No one asked to take over the company. People asked not to be treated like replaceable cattle after building this operation for years.
If defending workers makes someone a communist in your head, maybe the problem is not politics. Maybe the problem is that you are more comfortable licking management boots than admitting employees are being underpaid.
@1a1 hey Sir/ Madam , wouldn't that be the same thing as the current political party running the company right now? It always has to be politics so sad
@166 Great post. Apart from getting me very excited, I am wondering who this guy is, I might marry him.
Also, thinking of maybe forming NCR communist party of Serbia, so we can take control of the company and get raise for everyone.